1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to anchoring devices and more particularly to tie down devices for preventing relative movement of one object with respect to another.
2. The Prior Art
Tie down devices for securing campers to trucks are very well known in the recreation vehicle industry. The most common tie down devices are commonly referred to as "stake-pocket" or "straddle mount" tie downs, one representative type of which is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,781,057. Stake-pocket tie downs have been popular because they can be used to secure a camper to a truck bed without permanently defacing the truck. However, it is well known that stake-pocket and straddle-mount tie downs suffer from significant deficiencies which have caused serious concerns in terms of safety and reliability.
More particularly, stake-pocket and straddle-mount tie downs typically are inserted into stake pockets or secured on the sides of the truck bed and project laterally outward a considerable distance. An aperture at the end of the tie down receives a turnbuckle or similar device which is also attached to the truck camper. Thus, the truck camper is secured through a turnbuckle or the like to the distal end of the elongated stake-pocket tie down.
As wind or road motion acts to urge the camper away from the truck, significant torque and force moments are exerted through the turnbuckle to the distal end of the stake-pocket tie down. Because the stake-pocket tie down is secured to the turnbuckle at a distance substantially remote from the anchoring location on the truck, substantial leverage forces exist tending to cause the tie down to fail.
It would be a substantial improvement in the art to provide a tie down device which is aesthetically pleasing and yet self-orienting so as to prevent force moments which can cause the tie down to fail and the camper to thereby be inadvertently separated from the truck bed. Such an improvement is disclosed and claimed herein.